


Be the death of me

by maniasquared



Series: Stucky One-Shots and Drabbles [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Awkward Steve Rogers, Bad Flirting, Boys Kissing, Bucky Barnes Feels, Crushes, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Mush, High School, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other, Pining, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Secret Crush, Student Bucky Barnes, Student Steve Rogers, Students
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 22:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18926686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maniasquared/pseuds/maniasquared
Summary: "When he finally came to his senses, he realized two things: One, Bucky’s friends saw that whole scene and probably knew that Steve was basically in love with him. And...Brrrrrring!Two, he was late to his next class.He swore as he turned away and bolted towards AP Chem. His face burned red when the teacher gave him the side-eye as he slid into his lab stool."Or: Steve Rogers has a crush on Bucky Barnes and doesn't want the secret getting out.





	Be the death of me

**Author's Note:**

> "'Cause there's always time for second guesses, I don't wanna know, if you're gonna be the death of me, that's how I wanna go."
> 
> Title from "Collar Full" by Panic! At the Disco.
> 
> This is un-beta'd (other than myself).

Steve sauntered down the hallway, weaving through the mass of bodies in front of him. He kept his eyes glued to the floor, clutching his backpack strap in one hand, and his book in the other. He rounded the corner when he ran into something solid. The weight of his backpack, combined with his poor balance, pulled him down. His glasses fell, tumbling to the ground. He sighed, his vision was blurry but he managed to hold onto his belongings. He squinted as he felt for the device that miraculously lets him see. He felt a blush creeping up his neck at the sound of laughter, he knew it was directed at his falling, he desperately patted the grimy floor.

“I think these are yours?” A voice managed between loud, uncontrollable chuckles. Steve froze. He knew that voice. He knew it painfully well. To say Steve had a crush on the owner would be accurate; but if he said he had it for ‘a while,’ that would be an understatement. Although he’d never admit it, his attraction dated back to the late elementary days. He blinked a few times before taking the frames from Bucky Barnes, one of the most popular people in school. Everyone adored him. Steve was infatuated.

“Y-yeah, those are—are mine,” he stammered, cursing himself for it. He pushed them up the bridge of his nose, finally able to see once again. Bucky stood over him, looking extremely amused. _And hot…._ He blushed once more and averted his eyes to anything but the man in front of him. “Th-thanks....”

“You’re welcome, pretty boy,” Bucky said with such charisma and ease that Steve thought he would’ve fallen apart at any second. He gestured to help the smaller one get up (Steve reluctantly took it). On his feet, he felt dizzy and his stomach ached. _Nerves, probably._

He made to walk away, but Bucky had other plans. He grabbed Steve’s wrist and drew him in against his chest. Steve’s breathing hitched, and he glanced up to an unreadable face. The taller one leaned in, his lips brushed the shell of his ear. “Where do you think you’re going, pretty boy?”

“To class.” He said it more like a question rather than a statement.

“Without telling me your name? Or do I have to keep calling you ‘pretty boy’?”

“It’s Steve....”

Bucky hummed, thinking. “Steve.” Hearing it come from his mouth was so much more attractive than any way Steve himself could say it. “Well, _Steve_ , I really do think you’re a pretty boy. Maybe we’ll cross paths in the future.” Steve didn’t mention the fact that they actually have a class together this semester.

With that, Bucky feathered his fingers through Steve’s fringe, pushing away the strands that fell into his eyes. Steve simply let him, eyes glazed over. When he finally came to his senses, he realized two things: One, Bucky’s friends saw that whole scene and probably knew that Steve was basically in love with him. And...

_Brrrrrring!_

Two, he was late to his next class.

He swore as he turned away and bolted towards AP Chem. His face burned red when the teacher gave him the side-eye as he slid into his lab stool. He unpacked his notebook and rushed to catch the notes on the board before Ms. Klement removed them. He was in the middle of copying down how molecules arrange and how forces between them interact when he’s nudged on the arm. He glanced over to see his friends Tony (grinning like an idiot) and Bruce (raising an eyebrow).

“What?” He hissed, focusing his attention back to the front.

“Why were you late?” Bruce inquired. “You’re never late.”

“Because he’s too much of a goody two shoes,” Tony interjects.

Steve blushed at the thought of what happened just before. He stammered, “It’s nothing.”

Tony and Bruce rolled their eyes and said together, “Liar.”

Steve shook his head and glared at them. He ignored the two in favor of the lecture. Tony, as a grade-A pain in Steve’s ass, kept poking him until he turned to face them. “I’ll tell you at lunch, now would you fucking stop it?”

“Wow,” Tony feigned surprise. “Cap’s got attitude today. Doesn’t he, Brucie?”

Bruce shrugged and told him to stop being an asshole. Steve chuckled at that, silently thanking his friend for taking his side. He took notes the best he could while Tony continued to not do what he was supposed to do. Steve wondered how he still managed to ace all the tests if he didn’t pay attention in class and didn’t do any of the homework.

When the bell rang, everyone filed out of the room. Tony and Bruce lingered while Steve packed his things. As soon as they were the hall, Tony jumped on him. “So, are you gonna tell us what the hell made you come in late and flustered, or are you gonna keep being a little bitch?”

“Tony,” Steve groaned, rolling his eyes and shouldering his bag. “Let’s get in the lunchroom before you start interrogating me, how about that?” He definitely didn’t want the wrong people to hear him talking about what happened earlier.

Tony complained the whole way.

Once they were situated at their favorite table in the corner of the cafeteria, it was Bruce who attacked first. “Steve, you better tell us before Tony over here explodes from anticipation.”

“Well,” Steve set down his sandwich and glanced around before he talked about it. Rumors in this school spread faster than a wildfire during a drought in California and Steve did _not_ want people to know about his mega crush on Bucky Barnes. “I was running late to Chem because Mr. Nelson wanted to talk to me about my case study in History so he held me back for a minute. And I was walking as fast as I could to make it and I would have if I didn’t….”

“If you didn’t?” Bruce pressed, leaning in.

Steve sighed, shaking his head. He muttered, “If I didn’t run into Bucky and his friends.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “Details, Cap! Details!”

“Nothing much happened!” Steve said defensively. “I fell backwards and my glasses fell off and—and he gave them back to me. He—he called me ‘pretty boy’ a few times before—”

“Hold on a sec.” Tony aggressively smacked the table, catching the attention of a few students. Steve hushed him and blush crept up his cheeks. “You’re telling me—shit, sorry—that _Bucky Barnes_ called you ‘pretty boy’ after handing back your glasses?”

Steve nodded. “And—and he helped me up and he kinda pulled me in and asked my name and then he said something about crossing paths in the future?”

Tony gasped and wiggled in his seat excitedly. “Steve, you know he was flirting with you, right? _Please_ tell me you know that—or at least tell me you flirted back.”

Steve, completely astonished, said monotonously, “I had to go, I was late.”

He expected complaints from Tony… but from Bruce? Not so much. Steve gave a quizzical look. Bruce took off his own glasses to run a hand over his face as if he was frustrated. “Steve, you’re such an idiot sometimes.”

Steve scoffed, “I was _late_ and his _friends_ were right there, I couldn’t—I just—” He groaned and lay his head on the table. “I was so embarrassed—I mean—he’s so cute and charming and I’ve had a crush on him for so long and one of the few times I talk to him? I fucking run into him and I fall over. I must have looked so stupid! I was a mess, guys. He makes me all anxious and _nervous_ ; I froze when he said I was pretty. I _hate_ being called that—you _both_ know that—but when he did, I almost melted. I was like putty in his hands!”

“It couldn’t have been _that_ bad, Steve,” Bruce reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder twice. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, it’ll be fine. You probably think it’s more awkward than it really was.”

“Yeah—yeah, I guess you’re right.” Steve, not entirely convinced, eyed his sandwich and decided he lost his appetite. He stored it away while Tony talked about this girl he met, Pepper, at the library the other day. He quietly listened for the rest of the lunch period and tried his best to avoid overthinking the mishap with Bucky. He was mostly successful.

* * *

 

Three days later, two hours until school got out for the weekend, one rumor gained extreme popularity: Steve Rogers had a thing for Bucky Barnes. To say that shit hit the fan would be a massive understatement; Steve was never popular, most people wouldn’t recognize him and if they did, they’d likely say “oh, the scrawny kid that hangs out with the science geeks?” (And they wouldn’t be wrong, either.) But after his secret got out, Steve was all the whole school could talk about. He hated it, hated the attention; he liked to keep to himself. He wasn’t sure how it got out. He trusted Bruce and Tony; he knew they hadn’t been the ones to start it. Someone must have heard them at the lunch table despite Steve’s precautions.

Steve walked with his two friends and he disregarded people staring at him and whispering as he passed by. Tony and Bruce were apprehensive, trying their best to occupy Steve through the halls to his next class. Steve was thankful for them; they walked with him to all his classes, even the ones they didn’t have together. He knew they were protecting him from being ambushed by a curious student who craved some juicy gossip to fuel the fire; he couldn’t thank them enough for it.

They had some extra time before the next period, so they stood outside the classroom and discussed plans for the weekend. They needed to work on a presentation desperately because they put it off until a few days before its due date. It’s all Tony’s fault (not that he’d ever admit it, though). As they compared schedules, Steve dreaded the next class, it was the only one he had with Bucky and he _really_ didn’t want to be in the same room.

Tony and Bruce waved goodbye once they found a time they could all meet up, promising to accompany him after the period. He watched them until they disappeared around the corner and he turned to enter his English class. Unfortunately, he walked right into something that felt all too familiar. He stumbled backward a few steps but didn’t fall ( _thank God_ , Steve thought), and he was face to face with the person he hoped to avoid. He silently cursed.

“Hey,” Bucky smiled, it made Steve’s chest ache from the sudden warmth. “Steve, right?”

He nodded, unable to speak. Is Bucky playing stupid, or did he really have a hard time remembering Steve’s name? Steve doubted that it’d be pretty hard to _not_ know his name after how much people were talking about him.

Glancing at the empty hall, Bucky’s hand closed on Steve’s wrist. He murmured, “Come with me.”

With that, Steve found himself being dragged into a dark room that Bucky unlocked swiftly. The light flickered on and Steve perceived the room to be a supply closet for the custodial staff; he heard the recognizable click of a lock closing. The bell rang. Class officially started and he was alone with Bucky Barnes in a small, enclosed space. His head spun from the reality of it.

Steve managed to squeak out three words, “How did you…?”

“I _might_ have found a janitor’s key,” Bucky declared with a smirk. Steve stood there, captivated by the way Bucky licked his lips. “So….” He took a step toward Steve and tilted his head slightly. “Rumor has it I make you nervous.”

Steve instinctively moved back and he hit the wall after two steps, it really was a small space. Bucky followed so the distance between them didn’t change. Once again, Steve was only able to nod his head. Bucky’s laugh wasn’t mocking, it sounded indulgent. It made Steve’s legs turn to jelly.

Resting one hand on the wall, Bucky leaned in close enough that his breath ghosted against Steve’s mouth. Steve jumped when Bucky’s other hand landed gently on his hip, but he didn’t pull away. His heart pounded wildly in his chest; he trembled under the touch.

Concern trickled into Bucky’s cocky expression, eyes softening. “You doing alright, doll? I promise I’m not trying to intimidate you.”

Steve swallowed hard. Finally finding his voice, he stuttered, “Then what—what _are_ you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to kiss you,” he replied. Suddenly, he sounded anxious, “If you’ll let me—I mean—if you want me to.”

Steve’s breathing hitched. This wasn’t happening. Bucky Barnes wanted to kiss _him_ , Steve Rogers. He couldn’t pass that up, he owed it to himself. He bit his lip and slowly brought them against Bucky’s, savoring the taste. The kiss was sweet, tender even. It was… intimate. It was everything Steve wanted it to be and more.

He pulled back, ducking his head and blushing. He touched his lips tentatively. He breathed, “Wow….”

“Yeah,” Bucky said, just as awestruck. Steve’s face reddened further. Bucky rested his forehead against Steve’s. “You’re adorable.”

“Me?” Steve asked, dumbfounded. Bucky nodded. “No—no—that’s not true. I’m—”

Bucky interrupted, “It is. You’re adorable and cute and gorgeous and sexy as hell.”

“I—” Steve decided not to argue. “O-okay, thank you.”

He beamed and straightened up, observing Steve. “I’d like to take you out on a date. Maybe we can get coffee some time? There’s a shop near my house….” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck and a faint pink appearing on his cheeks.

“Yeah—yeah, I think that sounds nice.”

Bucky seemed optimistic. “Really?”

Steve grinned and nodded. “Really.”

This earned a laugh from Bucky. He drew Steve in and whispered, “Can I kiss you again?”

“Of course.”

Maybe Steve’s secret getting out wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.


End file.
